We’re headed into a time of year that can be difficult and stressful for many people. While the fall season, the holidays, and the imminent end of the year can be exciting, they bring a lot of pressure and busy days, and can stir up difficult emotions and feelings! Whether or not you’ve struggled with your mental health before, it’s not at all uncommon to start feeling less than your best around the fall and winter seasons.
Most people are familiar with the concept of getting checkups for their physical health as a way to keep tabs on how their body is doing and catch any potential problems in their earliest stages. This idea is not nearly as widely applied to mental health, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be! Mental health checkups can be just as impactful on your emotional wellbeing as regular checkups are on your physical wellbeing, and this is a great time of year to think about adding one to your schedule. If you’re not convinced, here are some of the benefits that these checkups can offer you!
Increased Awareness
One of the main ways that mental health problems can escape notice, even from the people suffering with them, is behind the veneer of normalcy. So many people don’t even realize that they’re struggling with something like depression or anxiety because they think that it’s normal for them to be dealing with the feelings they’re feeling. The idea of smiling through the pain and suffering in silence is incredibly widespread in our society, and many people end up not getting themselves the help they need because they think that there’s no way their emotional pain could possibly be a sign of something more serious going on.
Feelings of anxiety, sadness, numbness, or hopelessness are not uncommon, nor are they anything to be ashamed of, but this doesn’t mean that they’re “normal” or that they don’t require any help or treatment. Regular mental health checkups can be a great way for someone to get perspective on the way they’ve been feeling, and to learn what is to be expected and what might warrant some closer attention!
Catch Problems Early
As a rule, all health conditions can be treated better and more effectively if they are caught and diagnosed early, from colds to cancers. This same rule applies to mental health conditions as well! The earlier you’re able to get confirmation that you have an issue like anxiety or depression, the sooner you’re able to start treatments like medication or therapy and implement changes in your lifestyle that can make it easier to deal with.
Catching mental health problems early can completely change your prognosis. Many people only end up seeking treatment after they’ve been suffering for years, and by that point, their anxiety, depression, or other problems have had time to worsen and form deeply ingrained habits, making them much harder to handle and harder to treat. Conversely, if you start fighting back against these issues sooner, you have a much better outlook! Mental health checkups help to give you this early intervention that can make such a major difference.
Provide Necessary Support
Support systems are an essential part of treating mental health conditions, as impactful as psychotherapy or medication. Whether you find this support from mental health groups, one-on-one therapy, friends, family, or other sources, you’ll always have the best chance of feeling better if you have people around you who can encourage you during difficult times and celebrate your triumphs with you.
People who are struggling with their mental health untreated, especially people who don’t even know that their difficulties are related to their mental health, often have a serious lack of support systems in their life. Even being told by a doctor that what you’re experiencing is a real psychological issue that can be treated can be a transformative and very reassuring experience for someone with depression or anxiety! Mental health checkups can provide this vital support, as well as advice and framework for how to reduce isolation and set up other support systems within a person’s life to help them with their emotional and mental wellbeing.
Adjust Treatment Plans
If you’re already aware of mental health issues that you might have, periodic checkups are even more important to build into your schedule of care. Treating and living with a condition like depression or anxiety is not stagnant, nor is it a straight line of progress. It’s normal for you to have high points and low points, and to need to adjust your treatment plan accordingly, like changing your medication dosage or how frequently you see your therapist!
This is especially common now, as the weather is changing and the days are getting shorter. Whether or not you experience seasonal depression or SAD, it might be a good idea to check in with your mental health provider to discuss how you’ve been feeling and decide whether some changes to your treatment plan might be helpful.
Just as physical checkups have benefits for the health of your body, mental health checkups have benefits for the health of your mind! If you’re interested in learning more about maintaining your mental health over time, the TMS Center of the Lehigh Valley can help you. Make sure to contact us today for more information!